SPI SheetMetalWorks FAQSPI SheetMetalWorks is 100% integrated with SolidWorks. It specifically addresses the needs of companies involved in the design and manufacturing of sheet metal parts and assemblies. It leads to significant increase in ready-to-manufacture products and makes the design process instant, resulting in dramatic time savings between concept and the testing of actual parts. |
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No guts, no glory ...Not that we don't want to discuss your special demands. But some typical questions are often similar.The most popular questions and aswers are listed below. |
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Here are the answersOther questions? Surely. Do not hesitate to contact us.Call: +49 4102 70 60 or send an Email to sheetmetal@spi.de |
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How does SPI SheetMetalWorks manage the unfolding of transitions?
When calculating the unfolding of transitions like "rectangle-circle", "cone", "y-transition", SPI SheetMetalWorks interprets the model as a bended sheet metal part. The number of bendings is defined by the designer. The calculated unfolding of a cone is based on the real manufactured part . The 3D Model and the drawing remain clearly, because facets are not represented.
You can visualize the borders of the bending zones beneath the bending lines. Free form surfaces as well as conical or cylindrical surfaces with large radii can be treated with a sequence of ready-to-manufacture bending lines for successive bending. The amount of facets for a freeform surface depends on the settings of the parameters or of the possibly attached facet attribute. At the middle of each facet line (bend line) the inclusive angle is displayed. To simplify the identification of bending lines on the blank you can let calculate bending marks. Thus the worker at the bending machine has a better orientation and will position the sheet metal even more effectively. The optionally created bending line table delivers al the information needed for the bending process (e.g. angles and radii). Line type, colors and layers of the contours can be customized to NC program standards. The unfolding is available within the existing drawing, another part document or directly into a DXF- or GEO-file. The processed NC data are according to DELEM, CYBELEC or TRUMPF Tops and others.  back What is the Material Management good for?
The data that are relevant for the process chain (machines, material and sheet metal thicknesses) are maintained in SPI‘s material management. As soon as you do not keep the defined parameters in the course of your construction, the software refers to a potential conflict. However, with the selection of the material you do not commit yourself: Of course you can assign another material to the work piece later on. The calculation of the shortening takes place according to DIN, formula or table. Shortening definitions (formulas or tables) can be adapted to your company standards, if the calculation of the unfolding does not refer to the DIN k factor. You can define them differently per bend.
backCan I create GEO data for TruTops Laser and TruTops Punch (ToPs 100/300) directly with the unfolding and can I transfer the geometry directly to punch-, laser- and bending processes?
SPI SheetMetalWorks (in combination with the TruTops Interface) allows for the direct export of the unfolding geometry from SolidWorks to the ToPs-GEO file format. Different to the DXF transfer the once calculated GEO-files can directly be up-loaded to TruTops Laser and TruTops Punch modules for nesting, laser cutting etc. A time-consuming transformation with the help of the Tops drawing editor is void! For the bending simulation all information (bending radii, bending factors) is contained and thus is immediately available in TruTops Bend (ToPs 600). For the further processing with Delem and Cybelec programming the unfolding supplies the necessary additional information also. You can use the geometry in arbitrary other numerical control programming systems.
backAre there interfaces other than TruTops? Yes, the SPI WiCAM Interface allows the direct transfer and export of the unfolding geometry from SPI SheetMetalWorks to an XML-file, which can be used by the PN4000 software of WiCAM. When using this interface SPI SheetMetalWorks provides the possibility to directly use the calculated data from the unfolding for CAM-programming with PN4000 due to the fact that geometric and specific manufacturing data are available at the push of a button. backHow does SPI SheetMetalWorks handel imported data?
SPI SheetMetalWorks allows for the assignment of material definitions to imported models (DWG, SAT, IGES). Imported data frequently exhibit inaccuracies or mathematically unfavourable representations of geometry. SPI SheetMetalWorks compensates this by different tolerance options, which refer themselves among other things to the plate thickness, parallelism of upper and lower surface and the angles, under which adjacent surfaces meet one on the other.
backWhat does "ready to manufacture" mean for SPI?
SPI SheetMetalWorks creates a ready-to-manufacture unfolding.Any sheet metal part once designed with SolidWorks can be unfolded, besides this a large range of imporeted models. A detailed unfold log including a problem report helps to find possible failures in an early stage of the production cycle.
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